Engineer
* Temporary drones that are scoopable no longer explode on death or disappear when they expire. Instead they enter a destroyed or an expired state. Destroy drones can be repaired like normal items.
+ New Engineer Advanced Subskills, Mechanical Engineer, Computer Engineer, Electrical Engineer and Civil Engineer

Fleet Commander
* Wild Slaves have their own slot pool.
+ New Fleet Commander Advanced Subskills, Advanced Flight Controller, Wild Man, Fleet Admiral and Fleet Protector
Advanced Subskills:
More on these can be found in this blog post: http://www.starsonata.com/blog/calypso-update-1-27-14/

Due to the enormous patch size we’re breaking this up into a few patches. These major content additions will be implemented approximately two weeks after the reset. Some pieces of these additions may be included at the reset, and locked until the two week patch. The reasoning behind it is that these new additions may not have been fully tested prior to the reset, and we don’t want broken additions added to the universe.

+ Temple Grounds – A two-part tech 22 instance featuring the Trials of adum, a single player puzzle instance and the High Priest’s Chamber, a new and exciting boss fight.
+ Color Empires – A large, lower level instance featuring content ranging from level 40 to 120.
+ Crucible – A new single player instance to fight off waves of enemies. Awesome new class superitems are rewards.
+ New Class Locked Super items! Three new super items for each class are will be available as rewards for the Crucible.
Tweaks:
* Most missiles no longer locked to Gunner. (Decoy, Burst, Interference, and Blockbuster are Gunner locked)
* Most missiles no longer locked to Capital Ship. (Vor, Flare are Gunner Capital locked)
* Most missiles are now size 1.
* Berserker travel fields no longer work on slaves.
* New slave only berserker travel fields. These equip when you equip yours on your main ship automatically.
* Lifesteal aura now blocks incoming transference damage but not outgoing transference damage.
* Missiles now get range and radar bonuses.
* Freighter split into 2 hull types Support Freighter and Industrial Freighters, see details on the blog http://www.starsonata.com/?p=829
* Changed team slots to be account based, instead of character based. Teams now start with 50 account slots which is increased by the Roster skill by 5 per level.
* Made new tweaks that affect shield regen show up on the client immediately, rather than being delayed up to 2 seconds
* Changed summary text of ‘Resistance, not so futile’ mission to make it more clear where players have to finish the mission.
* Converted Nightfury Focus, Nightfury Rage and Red Photon Remote Weapon Augmentation into superitems
* AI will no longer attack destroyed drones.
* Destroyed drones can no longer be hit by collision code.
* Alien Shields now take Shield Lattice Intensifiers instead of Harmonic Shield Focusers.
* Nanite Blueprint now produces 1000 Nanites instead of 500.
* Super Items can now be charged from damage taken.
* Lifespan on most missiles reduced.
+ Increased the number of Reaver dg spawns a bit
+ Sniper Analysis doesn’t scale by Sniper Class level anymore.
* Entanglement Missile now does a Sludge parasite
* Fighters and Missiles launched by super items no longer check the tech of the equipped launcher, just that it exists.
* Splash healing now costs shields for all targets hit.
+ Added Strategic Deployment and Centered advanced subskills to slaves
* Damage Fields in Piloting 22 now affect all players regardless of aggro.
+ Updated Copper to use the automatic gate locking system.
* Lifesteal now only applies to positive damage.
* Weaponry to 8 can now be trained in Blue Outpost for 1 Blue Aether.
* Critical Aug stats now apply to bases.
* Merchant Fleet Master now also gives +1 slave order.
* Slave Ph.D. is now properly accounted for when transferring a slave.
* Skill Resetting now checks slave slots used, etc, and will deny the reset if you would exceed limits after the reset.
* RP Warship uses weaker missiles.
* Using a demo kit on a destroyed base will kill you if you couldn’t normally undock in that ship.
* Drone Operations augmenters now take Engineer skill instead of Drone Mastery.
* Tweaked Activity score to penalize large teams less.
* AI Ghostships will no longer use their torpedo superitem.
+ Mighty Deathblossom and Ultimate Deathblossom now Capital Ship only.
* Hotkey for missile / fighter launchers now displays queue count.
* New cost for many missiles and missile factories.
* Launching a missile or fighter is now properly considered a hostile action.
* Slaves now only queue one missile at most.
+ Shake it Off and Centered now apply to slaves.
Transwarp Tweaks:
* Transwarp Missions now have an Equipment skill requirement.
* Transwarp Devices no longer warp slaves in stasis.
* Transwarping now destroys die on jump items.
* Transwarps that don’t immediately find the destination beacon from their list will now search the galaxy for a beacon and jump to it.

- Fix for a crash during jump (there is still at least one alt-tab related crash with jumps, maybe more).
- Fix for a crash with weapon switch.
- Fix for a crash in inventory tab.
- Fix for a crash in certain stations if you docked just after jumping.
- Fix for a crash when transfering items
- Fix for a crash when transfering credits.
- Fix for a crash when setting descriptions on userbase.

Client
Additions
* Added buff icons for Dampening and Critical Hit Immunity Tweaks
* Added /lkc distortion for those who dont like the distortion effect on laser / trans applied at veryhigh, /lkc 1.1 would disable them completly. (already live)
* New news viewer in the client.
* New context menu for the Possession tab of the Character dialog.
* New options for slaves in the Possesions tab context menu; “Follow Me”, “Leave Stasis”, “Open Inventory”, and “Repair Ship”

Tweaks
* Particles system change, higher fluidity and shorter trails all around (smoother animation as well), on very high especially (lower graphic also gain smoothness but not as much) (already live)
* Particles system massive performance increase. This patch improved the performance of the particles rendering system by nearly 300% (which allowed us to make most existing case much smoother without impacting performances) (already live)
* Greatly improved memory bandwidth and rendering efficiency (speed if it was your bottleneck) on all dynamically generated meshes, (like the suns and the spheres used in some projectiles), also fixed a memory leak on that side which was one of the last remaining known client crash (already live)
* More debug data to help me pinpoint the last known crash still existing (the one where you alt tab during an autopilot jump and it sometime crash). I am sure there are other crashes left, but the 2 mentioned here are the last 2 i was able to prove existed. (already live)
* Moved “Release Slave” button in the Possession tab to the new context menu.

Fixes
* Multiple client crashes fix (already live)
* Fixed a bug that caused engine particles to not update after an engine change until you undocked a second time. (already live)
* Fixed a client crash in the map flags (already live)
* Fixed a client crash in the warp effect. (already live and there is still one crash remaining on warp while alt-tabbing)

Tweaks
* Made it so AI’s/Slaves thinking about using offensive super items will check the range of the first weapon in the super item, wherever it is in the order of actions, whereas before, they would only check the range if the first action in the super item was a weapon.
* (dev stuff) Asteroid spawners can now spawn named asteroids.
* Added new subtype for class items like Deathblossom, Sniper Analyzer, etc.
* Sniper Analyzer now uses the Overloader icon.
* AI bases without skills won’t display a skills tab.
* Seperated Missile and Fighter bays.
* Seperated Missile and Fighter slots.
* You can have a missile and a fighter bay equipped at the same time.
* Shield Tweaks now affect shield regeneration provided by shield chargers.
* Changes to repair messages.
* Improved layer filtering for loading wild AI and applied it to holiday AI (no more holiday AI in The Nexus for example)

Fixes
* Fixed a bug where combat slaves were not using offensive super items
* Fix for auto-start mission errors.
* Fix for Janitor’s Outpost not showing a skills tab.
* Irradiated AI will no longer use Superitems.
* Transwarp now properly reduces the shields of the user.
* Splashing laser effect now acts as ethereal even if the starting laser is corporeal.
* Fixes to the Chain Laser weapon effect.
* Ships under the effect of an invincibility aura (+100% resistance all aura) are no logner affected by resistance reducing auras.
* Fixed a bug where it was sometimes not possible to crit a husk
* Fixed a typo in the ship repair confirmation dialog.
* Fixed issue where the server wouldn’t tell the client when a fighter docked with it’s owner’s ship.
* server change to remove support from uncrypted connection (will check for update but wont let you fully connect using an uncrypted version).
* fix for the rts order feedbacks not working.
* server crash fix.

Content
Additions
* New client map layers for Holiday content and Color Empire zone.
* Zeus’ Throne has a new inbuilt Missile Bay.
* Shrimp has a new inbuilt missile bay.
* Battle Sphere has a new inbuilt missile bay.
* Assault Behemoth has a new inbuilt missile bay.

Tweaks
* Reduced the prices on the Seer Mine factories to only consome field obtainable (or producable) commodities
* Unteamed the End of the Universe Beacon.
* You can now only tow to Janitor’s Outpost if you are towing from the Nexus.
* Changed price on Blue Photon Stock Missile crates.
* Damage fields in Bila no longer affect drones.
* Akara Adhara now drops a protection field emitter at 5% shields so players don’t die after they kill it.
* Paxian Bombs no longer spawn after 10% on the tractor boss. The final 10% must be done by the player.
* Incendiary Missiles now do half their damage in Napalm Fire.
* Gave Olympus a minimum level requirement of 750 to enter
* Changed all the Olympus wormholes to require Warp Navigation 3 (some of these won’t be in effect until new uni, but all of the instanced holes and the entrance one are done)
* The Zarkara at the dead end in the Akhara instance is no longer invincible.
* Goldenboy ships in Rumble Arena now have self-destructors.
* The Pest Drone Device acquired in the Nexus now properly drops Small Pest Drones instead of Blue Scout Drones.
* Changed Red Photon Prototype Remote Weapon Augmentation to give -20% Recoil
* Alien Outposts in Pajca and Sas arms now count the number of miniboss fighters in inventory before creating more.
* Changes to Saluna Psu to make it more usable.
* Buffed most T22 alien shields.
* Fixed an error with Dhatri Zaktirasa and Dhatri Devazaktirasa weapons which were incorrectly marked as pulse guns in the balance sheet and had way too much DPS for their type of weapon.
* Drone Scoop is now tech 0

* Changed the client random number generation to use a greatly optimised version for performance increase on some os (windows 8 used especially should see a performance increase by about 10%, wine user by nearly 25% (depending on the kernel) and windows 7 used by about 5%. (depending on the scenario)

* client side code to handle connecting using an encrypted user/pass beta client 266.* will still send both encrypted and uncrypted connection message in parallel, to remain compatible with old and new server. Once version 267 roll in, support for uncrypted login will be dropped from the client.

* fixed 2 crash fixes from dmp files sent.

If you do not have the beta client and wish to install it. It can be downloaded from starsonata.com/dl/StarSonata_2_beta.exe. The installation is separated from the live client, and it is recommended you keep the live client at hand reach, in case beta client update break it for you.

* new ingame news system
* multiple small performance improvements for some low end hardware. (15% improvement in ideal scenario, 2-5% is more likely for most people)
* many client crash fixed
* rendering issue with the target ring fixed
* targetring will no long spin crazily when you are on top of your target.
* added the beta version indicator. If the current beta is identical to live client it will also be indicated.
* added support for livetest / test new server version (both in client code and assets).
* New context menu for the Possession tab of the Character dialog. (functional only on test/livetest)

If you do not have the beta client and wish to install it. It can be downloaded from starsonata.com/dl/StarSonata_2_beta.exe. The installation is separated from the live client, and it is recommended you keep the live client at hand reach, in case beta client update break it for you.

This is a small patch, mostly to get the stuff needed by this year christmas event in and a few bug fixes / improvements and will be live at 23h00 SS time (see homepage for current server time).

Client changes:

particles system change, higher fluidity and shorter trails all around (smoother animation as well), on very high especially (lower graphic also gain smoothness but not as much)

particles system massive performance increase. This patch improved the performance of the particles rendering system by nearly 300% (which allowed us to make most existing case much smoother without impacting performances)

greatly improved memory bandwidth and rendering efficiency (speed if it was your bottleneck) on all dynamically generated meshes, (like the suns and the spheres used in some projectiles), also fixed a memory leak on that side which was one of the last remaining known client crash

added /lkc distortion for those who dont like the distortion effect on laser / trans applied at veryhigh, /lkc 1.1 would disable them completly.

more debug data to help me pinpoint the last known crash still existing (the one where you alt tab during an autopilot jump and it sometime crash). I am sure there are other crashes left, but the 2 mentioned here are the last 2 i was able to prove existed.

fixed a bug that caused engine particles to not update after an engine change until you undocked a second time.

Added new assets for the holidays.

Server changes:

Fix for the crash that has been happening every 26-30hours for the past week.

Event galaxies now have their own layer on the map.

Added support to missions to be open for set periods of time automatically (event missions automaticly becoming unavailable after a set time).

new christmas missions and content.

Made untanglers which stop tweaks stop imparted weapon affects

Fix Seer Virus Transmission Laser intro mission (Leo Branton chain)

Changes to the Bhisajayu and Samgrahak’ayu Healing Burst and Regenerative Burst super items.

Jan 16 EDIT:

There was a micro patch between Dec 20 patch and Jan 16 that fixed a bug related to healing experience not degrading properly.

Removed the ‘experimental’ and ‘alpha’ notices from Orthographic camera, HDR and SSAO checkboxes.

‘Buttonified’ the undock button.

Mission Summaries now appear at the top of the mission dialog.

Tooltips for Hull Items will display the model of the ship they are for.

Fixed the typo in the faction selection screen.

Beacons in unexplored galaxies will now appear as ‘inaccessable beacons’ in the transwarp destination list.

Server Additions:

Added a new game parameter that lets us control the galaxy limit for attached and non-attached bases separately. This will be used to give an attached base limit of something big, like 50 or 99, essentially unlimited (unlimited galaxy base slots suggestion).

Added a text notification for how many base slots a character has used when he deploys an attached base similar to the one that currently displays when you deploy a floating base
Instances can now be locked to a set number of players.

Added support for untanglers (graviton disruptors) to optionally also disrupt tweaks (including auras etc), gremlins and critical hit effects (you’ll still do the extra damage).

Added the ability for holoprojectors to be used from super items

Tweaks:

Drones will no longer automatically shoot at other drones.

Increased the placement distance that you have to be from the edge of a planet when deploying an attached base from 50 to 100

Server
* Made it so that no PVP tag applies to teammates too.
* New Auratweak item class.
* New Charge Overloader item class.
* Neurobinding and Modding an already modded item will no longer result in duplicate, wasted mods.
* Empty prospecting nodes no longer show up in scans.
* Tweaked down the minimum dock range a bit to a value that should feel more comfortable.

Content
* Fixed Surging Poseidon Hippios Energy and Heavy Bloodstained Ares Radar blueprints using the wrong items.
* Lyceum Signet from Herophilus 3000 is now neurobound.
* Removed the Cadets from Earthforce Outpost to curb confusion of players attacking them when they shouldn’t.
* Fixed Solarian Drone Blueprint being the wrong tech level.
* Fixed objects in Strontium-90 being at the wrong angle.
* Added a Nooby Planetscanner and added it with the Nooby Shipscanner to AI stations.
* Prabhava Remains for the Subspace Daily “Hatchery Mayhem” are no longer neurobound.

New uni stuff:
+ Subspace Hub galaxies are now no PvP zones.
+ Tidepool should properly have a lockout.
+ Head Master in the Building Academy now uses an Emperor’s Behemoth.
+ Fixed a bug with the Pyrite node in Capella.
+ Added warp beacons to Free Market, The Mausoleum and The End of the Universe.
+ New Fleet Commander Transwarps and Missions.
+ New Seer Transwarps and Missions.

Class rebalance stuff:
= class rebalance stuff (line starting with = will not be enabled until they are all completed as a whole, merely on those notes to keep track of progress (and they are enabled on test port 3032)).
= New Gunner “Starfighter” devices.
= Gunner Big Guns skill is now +2% damage, +1% mining damage.
= Missiles Launchers can now give augmenter mods to the missiles they fire.
= Missiles automatically get 100% bonus speed and 400% bonus thrust.
= Missiles can now be fired in salvos.
= Changed bonus damage to Seer Backstab skill from +3% / level on backstab to +1.5% / level general damage bonus and +1.5% / level on backstab.

Client:
Additions:
* Added 2 new lkc command for the hardcore mcer / low performance pc
** /lkc renderres 0.5 (where 0.5 can be anything from 0 (fullqlty) to 0.9 (very very lowres)) This setting basically lower the resolution at which your gameview is rendered, but does not affect the gui
** /lkc renderfull 0.1 is more extreme than renderres, as it will affect the whole client (text will become very hard to read) but this produce much better gain when the gpu is the bottleneck
** those new settings are used automatically to reduce the load of clients that are not focused or completely covered by other window (multiclienting) this should fix the issue of clients having a delay when alt-tabbing (need background client rendering enabled)
* Lagkiller will also lower the resolution of the gameview slightly (this can give a great performance boost in some case, with very little ingame impact)
* (feature) Added a new button to the bottom bar “?” Which open to the player guide section of the website.
* Added back the space brake sound from C1

Tweaks:
* (tweak) shipforming now display the ship hull name in the last confirmation window before using the spacepoints.
* (tweak) tooltip from the ship inventory, now only display for item you have selected (should reduce greatly the amount of “annoying” tooltip
* Improvements to the Autopilot Code
** Don’t thrust in the wrong direction when starting out
** Don’t wiggle back and forth
** Don’t thrust all the time and lost speed bonus from afterburners or tractors and thrust as little as possible while stealthy
** Brake at the correct time, rather than braking early and pulsing the brake
** Use the break any time the ship is moving in the wrong direction, but not facing the right direction to thrust (as opposed to only braking at the very end)
** Don’t stop on the last wormhole of the AP journey and then jump through. Instead, jump through and then stop — it’s faster.
** Don’t try to end up exactly in the middle of the destination, rather suffer tolerance based on the ships jumping and docking radius
** Do reverse thrusting if the AP wants to stop somewhere and the ship is going to overshoot it
** Make the angle that the AP is “cutting in” in order to get on track be proportional to how far off it current is, rather than just either pointing 45 degrees in or straight at the target
* (lagkiller optimisation) added renderbg to the lagkiller which essentially lower the rendered resolution of backgrounds and large clouds (which are the main cause of gpu related lag on lower end hardware). There are a few camera related artefact going on when you are zoomed in too much, but they are minimal (lighting dim a bit on the cloud and what it cover).
** this optimisation took the spot between laglevel 1 and 4 pushing the full renderres effect from 5 to 12, since its pretty rare that rendering the ships them self at lower resolution help anything.

Fixes:
* fixed a long-standing bug in autopilot path that would refuse to traverse some specific galaxies.
* Improved client and server millisecond timer to be much more reliable over long duration, fixing the desync issue on asteroid and planets (i hope)
* Reduced the amount of “failsafe” network update now that sync should be fixed (planets / asteroid and the likes, currently caused quite a bit of network stress for lower quality isp / routers, especially while multiclienting).
* (bugfix) shipforming should now make the ship disappear from the docked list
* (bugfix/feature) fix for the random crash when using death tow (and possibility other galaxy change related crash, although much less likely).
* (bugfix) fixed tooltip issue when the galmap was close to the left side of screen
* Fixed a bug with engine thrust sound where it would sometimes stay on after you end AP or dock at a base
* Fixed a sound bug with fast firing projectiles where some of the ones that were getting inserted by the server to make the average RoF come out correct were having the wrong firing sound (e.g. Radish Torch)
* Fixed a bug where the Activate Controlbot option would only work if the ship was previously entered.

Tweaks:
* Changed the base price of Psion Icicles to 50k
* Moved some of the words in the swear filter from the “partial” to “whole” list
* (Feature change) Spaceshipping no longer completely destroy the ship, Instead all items onboard the ship have their durability lowered to 0 and the ship is towed to the nearest tow station.
** (Tweak) a ship or a slave can no longer spaceship if the player is in the same galaxy (including offline) this should drastically reduce the number of accidental spaceshipping.
** (note) an item will be created soon that will allow safe stasis ship destruction (to allow getting rid of ships that cant be sold). This item will essentially work like a timed bomb, once equipped on a ship, the ship will go in stasis, and will be destroyed x days later unless recovered. (this should prevent catastrophic destruction in case of someone evil taking over an account and willing to destroy every ships since the ship will not be destroyed right away)

Fixes:
* Fixed the warhead/mass impact bug (being sent to infinity (south east)).
* (crashfix) changed the network code to support a dynamic buffer size (from 128bytes to 128mb) instead of a static buffer (32kb), this should completely fix any buffer overrun possible with the network code (server crash when opening a sing sphere with too many items to only name one)
* Fixed a bug where you couldn’t sell unequipped Augmenters to a station that vended them
* fix to prospecting node reseeding
* Fixed “Recharge Like Zeus” mission
* Fix for Zeus’ Recharging Beam, now affects both ships and drones properly
* Fixed damaged items being able to be sold to bases via ‘sell’ button.
* Fixed Miniaturized mod to give the proper amount of space reduction

Tweaks:
* Aliens levelling coefficients have been changed so aliens level at the proper speed.
* Alien roaming ranges have been fixed so they won’t invade lower level leaves of subspace.
+ Subspace Tunnels have been added to reduce travel time in Subspace.
* Tweaked the ratios of dungeon drop categories
* Made the fighter bay on Mulligan’s Zebu Titan be non-sticky, but of the same sub type as the ship so people can equip better fighter/missile bays on that ship if they wish.
* Ohm and Resistance have been slightly beefed (Resistance is a ship)
+ Removed Stasis Generators from galaxies that sold them and shouldn’t
* Beefed most scoops so they have a faster scoops per second stat.
* Olympus Tractors are no longer Neurobound.
* Alien Invasion attacks are no longer contained to a single galaxy.
* Alien Invasion ‘Outposts’ are more dangerous.
* Changes to the Tractor 22 boss to ensure loot drops and mission completions.
* added fighter slots usage to their item description if its higher than 1 slot

Please note that line starting by * are live with the patch and line starting by + require a new universe before going live (the code is live, but wont be useful until the content which require new universe go in).

Client:
Additions:
* New model for the Mzungu Acolyte/Kikale Mzungu Frigate
* New Neurobind and Mod feature
* Scooping changes: Scoops are now activated by holding down ‘C’, they’ll scoop a certain number of items per second as long as you hold C.

Tweaks:
* Client will now flash its task bar icon when you receive a pm and the application is not in focus.
* Your current number of Space Points available on your account is now shown under avatar (take note that it can take up to a minute for it to update after you buy Space Points on the website)

Server:
Additions:
* Added 1500 max shield to slaves for each level of remote control
* Added 2% per level resist all for slaves for each level of slave research
* Added 150 max shield to drones for each level of drone deployment
* Support for Space Points using items (Augmenter Retrieval Module and Ship Dry-dock Module)
* Aug Reset and Ship item forming item using SP (basically replacing the ticket system to pay for Augmenter Retrieval or Ship Dry-dock Module) are now available in game in free market ai base “Friedman” for 1 credits. Using it do not consume the item and will ask for confirmation before using the spacepoints.
* Galaxy wide prospecting scanners.

Tweaks:
* Made Drone Deployment skill require piloting skill
* Split out the dual-functionality of the Sticky tag and added a new Ship-bound tag for items, additionally applied it to various items that needed it
* Bhisajayu had some stat changes.
* Missions will automatically complete if they can be completed when started. Repeatable missions completed this way will automatically reopen.
* Parasites decay while in stasis.

Fixes:
* Changed the outfit hull command to required you to be docked. Outfitting your ship will unequip any items of the same class that’s given to you (eg: doing it to get a superitem will unequip your other non-sticky supers)
* Fix for drones/AI using weapons which heal the target instead of damaging it
* Prospecting Beams and DNA Extractors now properly display error messages in the client.
* Fixed the bug causing Subspace spawners to sometimes change to Zebucart Spawners.

Content:
Additions:
* Added some basic gear to the station in Lyceum just in case bad stuff happens during a class reset
* Gave Faranji Wingships a new inbuilt (replacing the mag one)
* Gave Captain Kidd a few Prawn Piece drops
* Added some new items to dungeon loot
* New T21 daily mission, The Tidepool.
* Tractoring 21.
* New T21 Tractors.
* New T22 Fighter missions.
* New Capacitors and Diffusers that reduce reflectivity.
* New items that can be built with Eridium.

Tweaks:
* Various changes to The Mausoleum, given normal DG/boss loot, increased chances of Mausoleum specific loot
* Re-added the Mini-Marinus Blueprint as a drop from Mausoleum
+ Updated UZ galaxies to use the automatic wormhole unlocking where appropriate, and made the spawners one time where appropriate (gals outside of the instances won’t change till next uni, if appropriate).
* Updated the requirements on T21 skill and added a player progression (Tut bot in Sol) mission for T22 skills
* Blueprint update: Build times on most blueprints radically changed, following a general trend of a minimum build time of a few days if you have a really good prod.
* Set all the Lyceum factories (Sensors, Microchips and Augmenter Module commodities) intervals to 10 minutes
* Increased the Prawn Piece drop rate in DGs a tiny bit.
* Prospecting nodes now have a lifespan and will be reseeded when they die.